It's a sad testament to this country when a person can be targeted and crucified because he/she is gutsy enough to be honest enough under oath, to admit to something he/she 'said' in the privacy of their home 20-30 years ago. Growing up in the South, I would have lost respect for her had she said she never used the 'N' word. I greatly admire her for being who she is--and standing by that. Anybody who has watched Paula Deen's show, read her autobiograhy and followed her through the years know that she's a warm, wonderful person who will help anybody she can. She would not have been able to look herself in the mirror if she had lied. And they especially know that she is NOT racist. She has strong moral beliefs--she does not believe in lying. And she is brave enough to stand by her beliefs. She is representative of what Dr. Martin Luther King and his work hoped to accomplish... for blacks, whites and all races to eliminate racial prejudice by working and living together. In spite of her Southern upbringing she has proven that she has evolved beyond that culture. She's a strong woman who has worked hard to help herself and her family in spite of life's hard knocks and she has succeeded spectacularly (any woman, Black or White, Mexican, Filipino, etc. knows what that's all about). What's being done to her is JUST WRONG. This particular brand of so-called "Political Correctness" is NOT what Dr. King and others (black and white) who fought for civil rights intended. The movement was intended to help us all to grow by changing the culturally incorrect views we were raised with. NOT to penalize people for what they 'said' years ago. That just defeats everything that's been accomplished in the last 30 years. As a people, we have to stop allowing 'pettiness and stupidity' to keep the country divided. For my part, I don't give a rats butt what Paula said in the privacy of her home, some 20-30 years ago. It's the person that I see today that matters. Hell if she had been a mass murderer, she wouldn't be in nearly as much hot water. We know that this suit is all about 'the 'money'. Thursday night I commented to my 73 year old aunt that I didn't think it was rightr that Paula was being targeted when the suit says it was her brother who committed the wrongful acts. And that as usual, it was the woman taking the fall and the man was getting away scott free. Well my aunt's response was "he's not the one with the megamillions". Touche. Oh and by the way, I am NOT White. I really expected the Food Network to have guts enough to give her a fair chance--obviously a lot of us were wrong. Like any other business (and they call themselves the Food Network Family) it's all about the dollar. That's the biggest problem with this country. The greed factor is just out of control. I hope to get enought signatures on this petition to show the Food Network and 'political correctness' that first and foremost, as 'human beings' we stand up for what is 'RIGHT' plain and simple.